Florida quilts

the long version

This stunning book of more than 200 photographs - 137 in full color - celebrates the enduring works of love and beauty assembled by the Florida Quilt Heritage Project, a five-year program to discover, document, and preserve the history of Florida as expressed through Florida quilts and the lives of the quilters. From traditional patterns like Log Cabin and Double Wedding Ring to originals such as "Money Bags" (pieced with bank coin bags) and the "Miracle Quilt of Democracy," to contemporary Florida designs such as "Sand in Our Shoes" and "A Salute to Space Exploration," the photographs illustrate the variety and quality of Florida quilt making from 1845 to the present. Working with hundreds of volunteers throughout the state, the project registered more than 5,000 quilts, then photographed those that best represent Florida quilt making. The selection team considered where the quilts were made, their relationship to Florida history (with emphasis on women's roles), technical and artistic merit, their possible commemorative nature, and whether they were exceptional examples of traditional patterns or techniques. The choices demonstrate methods of quilting (such as stipple and trapunto) and of constructing the quilt tops (patchwork, applique, and whole cloth). Against the backdrop of Florida history, the personal histories of the quilt makers - their "threads of memory" - stitch together this grass-roots record of creativity.